UnderWater, UnderGround Songwriting Workshop: Stephanie Wilson and KeruBo

Join Clemmons Family Farm singer-songwriters-in-residence Stephanie Wilson and KeruBo on Zoom on Friday, October 17 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm for their second Artist Talk and Community Song-writing Workshop in our UnderWater, UnderGround: Creatives Historize Charlotte, Vermont’s Sea Change program.

Each artist will talk about their lives as artists and their creative process, and discuss what they have learned and some of their creative inspirations from their research about the prehistoric skeleton of the Beluga whale that was found in Charlotte, Vermont in the 1800s, the Underground Railroad, Freedom Seekers, and other fascinating stories of the Lake Champlain Basin area that lie just beneath the surface of general public awareness. Following their presentation, they will co-facilitate a community engagement workshop to involve attendees in the finalization of song lyrics. The event will concludes with an informal Q&A session.

The purpose of the UnderWater, UnderGround artist residency program is to creatively lift up the past, present, and future voices and experiences of the Lake Champlain Basin area (parts of Vermont, New York, and Quebec). The program supports the two artists to research, learn about, collaborate, and create new works about some of the untold history, cultures, and geography of the area.

About Stephanie Wilson

Stephanie Wilson is a Vermont multidisciplinary artist who brings together her talents as a singer, songwriter, dancer, and lyricist, rooted in performance and personal storytelling. Originally from Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, a region noted for its homogeneity, Wilson found a greater sense of belonging and cultural connection in Winooski, where she says she's surrounded by a richer tapestry of languages, backgrounds, and perspectives.

Stephanie’s artistry often explores themes of generational pain and healing, sometimes delving into cycles of trauma, secrecy, and lineage—with a longing to break harmful patterns and embrace generational strength.

About KeruBo

Kerubo is a singer-songwriter, cultural worker, and community advocate whose work lives at the intersection of music, healing, and heritage. Drawing from her Kisii roots and the rich traditions of African oral storytelling, she uses song both as a vessel of memory and a tool for transformation.

Her lyrics—whether original or drawn from traditional folk songs—are layered with meaning, deliberately open to interpretation. This allows each listener to bring their own story into the music. Rather than offering a single, fixed message, Kerubo’s songs invite reflection, dialogue, and connection. It is this openness that extends the lifespan of her work across generations and geographies, allowing a single song to evolve with each new voice that carries it.

Kerubo works across Vermont and globally to support immigrants, refugees, and marginalized communities through trauma-informed programming, cultural preservation, and creative expression. Whether leading a circle of women in a healing song, co-creating curricula for schools, or performing on stage, her work centers resilience, community, and belonging.

She believes that storytelling, like healing, is not always tidy—but it is always necessary. And that sometimes, the songs we sing hold what words cannot say.

KeruBo's website: kerubomusic.com

More about the UnderWater, UnderGround artist residency

During the residency program, which runs between August and December 2025, each artist will conduct research and creative work on the Clemmons Farm to develop songs about the area's ecological, geological, and cultural histories. One of the subjects of the artists’ research will be the 11,500-year-old skeleton of a Beluga whale, which was discovered in 1849, ten feet underground and just two miles south of what is now known as the Clemmons Farm.

The artists will also research the history of the Underground Railroad in the Lake Champlain Basin area.

Creative outputs of KeruBo and Stephanie Wilson's artist residencies will include artist talks and co-creation songwriting workshops for surrounding communities and visitors to the Clemmons Farm. A final musical performance of songs created by the two artists and community members will be held at the Clemmons Farm and open to registered attendees in Fall 2025.

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Tickets

Advance registration is required for admission, with one ticket per person or group of people. Your name must be on the list in order for you to receive the Zoom link that will be sent at 6:30 pm- 30 minutes before the program is scheduled to begin.

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ADMISSION POLICY

Advance registration is required and your name must be on the registration list in order to be admitted into the Zoom room. Clemmons Family Farm reserves the right to refuse admission or eject from our Zoom room, at our sole discretion, any person behaving dangerously or inappropriately, or for safety, health, or any other reasons.

By attending this Event, You agree that visual/audio recordings of the Event, including your voice and likeness, may be used for any purpose on a worldwide basis, in perpetuity, without any compensation to You. You may keep your video and microphone turned off while the artists are speaking. We will encourage- but not require- you to turn your video and microphone on when it is time for the community song-writing and engagment. You may also share your ideas and suggestions for song lyrics in the chat room.

Clemmons Family Farm shall not be responsible or liable for any loss, damage, cost, or injury that arises from, or in connection with, Your attendance at this Event.

FAQs

Venue

1. The program will be held live on Zoom. Please plan on joining 5-10 minutes early in case you have any difficulties getting into the Zoom room.

What Should I bring?:

1. A relaxed and curious attitude- learning how artists approach historical and geological research and come up with something creative and inpiring is fun and intriguing!

Is it ok to bring children?

Young children and other people of all ages will LOVE meeting these two phenomenal artists and participating in their artist talk and songwriting workshop! Both KeruBo and Stephanie are Windows To A Multicultural World teaching artists with Clemmons Family Farm!

Where can I make a donation?

Please check our webpage here for information on how to donate to the 501c3 nonprofit organization Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. that stewards the historic Clemmons farm. You may also send a donation to Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. through Venmo.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please contact us if you have any questions about the event. Email clemmonsfamilyfarm@gmail.com or call (765) 560-5445 and leave a message.

About Clemmons Family Farm: Preserve, Empower, Build

Located in Charlotte near beautiful Lake Champlain, the historic Clemmons farm includes 6 historic buildings (circa late 1700s-1800s) and 138 acres of prime farmland and forests, ponds and streams abundant with wildlife. The elders Jackson and Lydia Clemmons purchased their beloved historic farm in 1962 for $35,000- an astronomical amount of money for a young African-American couple just starting their careers- under a 30-year mortgage. For 60 consecutive years, they never sold a single acre due to their firm belief in land as an important asset for African-Americans to build equity and legacy.

In 2019, a group of Clemmons family members, friends and advisers co-founded the 501c3 nonprofit organization- Clemmons Family Farm, Inc.- to preserve and steward the farm under a 20-year lease and to continue the community-building work, farming, and celebration of African-American history, art and culture, that Jack and Lydia led on their farm for nearly 60 years.

In 2023, through a private fundraising campaign, Clemmons Family Farm, Inc. purchased the historic Clemmons farm from the Clemmons elders when they were 100 years old. The Farm was purchased at its appraised fair market value and we conserved 122 acres under a land conservation easement to protect the beautiful land and natural resources, and to build a community around cherishing a remarkable African American legacy.

Our UnderWater, UnderGround artist-in-residency series is closely tied to our organizational mission to:

PRESERVE the 138-acre Clemmons farm as an African-American land and cultural heritage asset and a historic site of national importance.

EMPOWER a growing network of Vermont's Black artists and culture bearers with opportunities for professional development, advocacy, visibility, networking, paid engagements, collective healing, and a safe haven for creativity that helps them to thrive.

BUILD a loving multicultural community around African-American/African diaspora history, arts and culture.

Please support our work. The kind donations we receive from the general public help us steward the Clemmons Farm and make it available for free community programs like this one.

The UnderWater, UnderGround artist residency program is made possible in part through funding from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, the NEIWPCC, and Vermont Arts Council.